We know what they did last summer - ARTE, The Makers' Market

ARTE may have taken a short break during the month of August, but our artisans have been as busy as ever. We take a look at what some of the artisans did over the summer to refuel that flickering oil lamp of creativity.

Bright and Beautiful – Creative Fabric Ideas

Carla Bygrave, Founder and Designer of Bright and Beautiful did not have much time to create many of her popular bag creations, but her tote bag travelled all over the world with her. From Vegas to LA, from Cebu to Malibu beach, from Dubai international to London Heathrow, her large tote bag has bagged quite a bit of air mileage. She also captures colourful ‘craft wonderlands’ (as she calls it) where ever she travels, most of them heaped with fabric and wool that make us at ARTE-sans hunger for more of such craft shops in the UAE to whet our arty appetite.

Packed to the brim, the tote bag comes to Carla’s rescue at the airport while travelling.

The Bright & Beautiful tote bag is spotted yet again at Houston’s George Bush airport.

One of the many photos Carla takes of craft shops and shares with her fans. This one is at Michael’s craft wonderland in Pasadena CA.

Customized buntings and bags by Bright & Beautiful. Carla whipped these up in a matter of two days, before she got onto that jet and winged away to Scotland.

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T’Danes

T’Danes also travelled during the summer. Her favourite destination happens to Istanbul. “This city made me realise that that one time beauty stays a life-time beauty,” she says. This philosophy is incorporated into T’Danes beautiful pieces of work. No wonder they sell like hot cakes – after all, who wouldn’t want a piece of Istanbul beauty around her neck?

Photo by T’Danes encapulates Istanbul’s handcrafted inspiration through the power of recycling.

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Turquoise-ptember collection by T’Danes.

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Each pendant is a memento marking a special past event in someone’s life.

Doesn’t this ‘Marina’ necklace by T’Danes look awesome?

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Janys De

Spending time between India and Dubai this summer, Jan D’Sa, Owner and artist-designer at Janys De, started working on pocket squares to compliment her handcrafted cufflinks collection. Leaving the pocket squares and her cufflinks behind in Dubai, she went off to India and had a great time having the space to work on her fiction stories, doodle spontaneously and take insect and floral photographs to capture her love for nature. She says, “I did not travel as much as I would like to, but time spent on my parents’ garden-farm, dabbling in hobby photography, doodling and writing served to be a great introspection time where I travelled deep into my creative being.” We can be certain to witness her cufflinks collection steeped in this newfound creativity at ARTE.

Jan loves the time after the monsoon rains, where the raindrops sit immaculately on the flowers and leaves. Captures on her parents’ garden-farm.

Balancing the arthropod and the tear drop. Captured by Jan on her parents’ garden-farm.

Spontaneous doodling with her non dominant hand has become one of Jan’s favourite past times.

Handcrafted cufflinks by Jan in polymer clay and resin. The designs are made, following the intricate patterns in doodles created by Jan.

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Dollie Day Dreams

Another artisan who has seen the world and has lived in different countries spanning South America to South East Asia, had a pleasant surprise waiting for her in the English Countryside. Maggie, Owner and Designer of Dollie Day Dreams, says, “I was re-introduced to the pleasure of picnics in the English countrysides, long walks and endless rows of gorgeous flowers. The weather was great to just wander off the beaten path and lose myself in memories of things that I miss when I am in Dubai.”

Her Dollies are well known collectibles that are quite the rage among ARTE’s visitors.

Flowers in Maggie’s mother’s English garden.

Maggie Tuite, seen with her Dollie creations on new ARTE posters.

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Maggie’s Mr.Bunny keeps her company when she makes her dollies. She says, “She likes my button box, thankfully, I caught him in time having a sniff and not a snack.”

The Diva Dolls sell like hot cakes at ARTE.

Don’t you love this doll Trapeze Artist – each Dollie by Maggie exudes her own character and personality.

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Eva’s Cats

Bright and spunky Eva Yumshanova, designer at Eva’s Cats, spent time in the west of France camping with the family during the summer. Amongst all the expected camping gear you may find in camper’s backpack was (no surprise) threads and needles. Eva says, “I could not take my sewing machine, but I could sneak in some fabric, needle and thread. I zipped myself in the tent which made me feel I was inside a sleeping capsule of a star ship. I loved it.” It was in the midst of viewing the night sky, the milky way, breathing fresh air and pine trees, visiting Brittany and Le Croisic (known for its snail farms, salt plantations and more ) that her cat keychains were born.

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Eva in France, enjoying her ‘starship’ abode while piecing the cat keychains together.

Buy these cute cat key chains by Eva at ARTE markets.

A preview of some of Eva’s cats and dogs, foxes and camels.

Who can resist these animals made by Eva?

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All Photos used in this blog posts are used with the permission of the artisans.